When planning your next party, be sure to add some fun sleep over games to keep your guests entertained and out of trouble. Too old for kids' party games, teens planning a sleep over will need games that their friends will think are fun and cool. There are a wide variety of games to consider that are sure to appeal to people of all ages.
Fun Sleep Over Games
Slumber party games and activities are a fun way to pass the wee hours without wasting a minute of the party. From crazy scavenger hunts to secret-sharing games to other enjoyable activities, there is always something fun to do at a slumber party. Consider including some of the following at your next sleep over.
You Can't Say That
As guests arrive at the party, hand them ten strands of beads to wear around their necks, and inform them of the "forbidden" word. Each time someone hears another person say the forbidden word, that person must hand over his or her beads. Whoever has the most beads the next morning is the winner.
Slipper Scramble
Toss everyone's slippers into a huge pile in the center of a large room. Count to three and yell, "Go!" Everyone should dive into the pile, looking for his/her slippers. The first person to find both slippers wins.
Lap Stack
Before the slumber party begins, write down thirty phrases that can describe people. Examples include:
- Wearing blue jeans
- Hates math class
- Favorite food is pizza
Give the phrases to a supervising adult. Have everyone sit in a circle at the party. As the phrases are read aloud, people who are described by the phrase must move one chair to their right. Because some people will stay in their chairs each time, people will end up sitting on others' laps. The first person to return to his/her original seat is declared the winner.
Scavenger Hunts
There are many variations on traditional scavenger hunts that are great for slumber parties such as:
- Goody Bag Hunts: Guests can follow clues to different locations around the house where they find items to fill a goody bag with creative party favors. There should be enough of each item at each location for every guest to choose, or items could be labeled with guests' names.
- Friendly Neighbor Hunts: Guests are given a list of items they must ask neighbors for, such as today's newspaper, a cup of sugar, or a spare candle. No more than one item can be requested from the same neighbor, and neighbors should be alerted about the scavenger hunt beforehand so they can decline to participate if desired.
Truth or Dare
This classic slumber party favorite encourages wild behaviors and sharing secrets. Guests choose between sharing a truth - either divulging a secret or answering a question truthfully - or taking a dare. While this can be a fun game, it does need guidelines to prevent embarrassment or hurt feelings. This can be accomplished by creating two bags of paper slips, one with "truth questions" and one with "dares" for guests to pick from as they play.
Flashlight Tag
Children love the special privilege to play outdoors at night, and this no contact form of tag is perfect for a slumber party. After guests are in their pajamas, everyone is given a flashlight. The person who is it must "tag" other players by identifying who they are based on their pajamas when they see them.
Musical Sleeping Bags
This twist on musical chairs uses guests' sleeping bags as the desired "seats" in the game. While the music is played guests walk around the line of sleeping bags and when the music stops, they must scramble inside a sleeping bag. The game can be played with one less bag than the number of players, or it can be judged based on which player is last to get into a sleeping bag.
I Have Never
This game is a more innocuous version of the "truth" part of Truth or Dare. Every guest is given the same number of small candies. Guests then take turns making truthful statements that begin with "I have never…" Each guest that has done the stated activity must eat one of their treats, and the guest who runs out of candy last is the winner.
TP Designer
This crazy game uses rolls of toilet paper for outrageous fun. One option is for teams of party guests to design the most creative dress out of toilet paper with one of their teammates serving as the mannequin, while another option is to simply race to wrap one teammate up as a mummy.
Scary Slumber Party Games
Some of the best party games are the ones played late at night and are meant to scare everyone. After midnight, when everyone is tired, suggest playing one or two creepy games designed to get the hair up on everyone's necks.
Haunting Tales
Have everyone sit in a circle, with just a few candles lit around the room. The person hosting the party should start a scary story with one sentence. Each person must add another sentence until an entire tale has been created. Include guests in the story to make the scare factor even higher.
Light as a Feather
One person needs to lie in the center of a circle. Everyone else should place two fingers just a little bit underneath that person's body. The group should chant "light as a feather, stiff as a board" repeatedly until it almost seems like the person is levitating or being lifted off the floor by just the fingertips of everyone else. In the light of day, this game will not work. However, it can be quite eerie late at night.
Fun for Everyone
Sleep over games are not restricted to silly kids' games or makeovers for girls, there are games suitable for teens as well. If you include a mix of games you can ensure everyone at your party will have a good time and something fun to do.
